Category: Korea-General Topics

Hopefully rescuers can find these workers soon who are trapped underneath this collapsed tower:

A boiler tower collapsed at a thermal power plant in the southeastern city of Ulsan on Thursday, trapping seven workers, with a rescue and search operation under way, authorities said. 

The collapse was reported at the Ulsan branch of Korea East-West Power Co., a state-run utility company, shortly after 2 p.m. (…………)

“We are making efforts to pull out the trapped individuals who have been found, and are considering lifting or dismantling the collapsed structure to quickly locate the remaining people,” a firefighting official said.

Rescuers, meanwhile, have installed searchlights after sunset, allowing them to continue operations through the night. 

The collapsed tower was 60 meters tall and reportedly in the process of being dismantled using explosives. The trapped people are all presumed to be employees of a subcontractor.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

The question I have with this law is what other subjects does it include in addition to English education?:

A legislative bill aimed at restricting English education for young children is gaining traction, as both liberal and conservative education authorities unite to address growing worries over excessive academic pressure heaped upon preschoolers.

According to the office of Rep. Kang Kyung-sook of the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, who is leading the legislative effort, passage of the bill appears likely amid rising support from superintendents of education offices across the country.

“We are viewing the possibility of passing this bill positively,” an aide to Kang told The Korea Times. “At first, we received a huge number of protest calls, but now, not so much … We are actively working to build consensus among education superintendents, as we continue to push for it.”

Under the bill, all cram school programs in English and other school subjects would be completely prohibited for children under 36 months. For older children not yet enrolled in school, instruction is restricted to no more than 40 minutes per day.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

A smartphone is kind of a weird gift to give considering the security threat it poses which Lee made fun of:

President Lee Jae Myung has received a set of Xiaomi smartphones and traditional Chinese calligraphy tools from Chinese President Xi Jinping following their first summit talks, as the two leaders shared a lighthearted exchange about communication security.

As the two sides exchanged their gifts on Saturday, Xi presented Lee with two smartphones made by Chinese tech giant Xiaomi, noting that the displays on the phones are Korean-made.

“Is the line secure?” Lee quipped. Xi replied through an interpreter, “You can check if there is a backdoor.”

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Trump already signed a trade deal with Japan so we will see if South Korea decides to follow Japan’s lead or not and sign a trade deal as well:

Hosting the APEC summit for the first time in 20 years gives Lee a rare opportunity to welcome the U.S. and Chinese leaders on his home turf after less than five months in office. 

Lee is scheduled to hold summit talks with Trump on Tuesday and with Xi on Saturday. Consultations are under way to arrange a meeting with Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday.

The stakes are particularly high for Lee’s meeting with Trump as Seoul and Washington are in intense negotiations to narrow gaps over South Korea’s US$350 billion investment pledge, aimed at finalizing a trade deal that would reduce U.S. tariffs on Korean goods. 

Whether the two sides can clinch an agreement in time for the summit remains uncertain as negotiations continue over key sticking points, including the financing of the investment package. 

Wednesday’s summit will mark Lee and Trump’s second in-person meeting following their August talks at the White House.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

People should really watch the documentary Pink Ribbons Inc. This documentary shows how these breast cancer fundraisers raise little money for breast cancer research. Instead the money that is raised is used to sustain the breast cancer fundraiser industry. It additionally allows celebrities and businesses to virtual signal to the female demographic while doing little to nothing for breast cancer research. It is good to see that people are calling out this behavior in South Korea:

Charity galas are meant to blend glamour with goodwill. But when the spotlight shifts too much toward spectacle and the funds raised fall short, public criticism often follows.

That is what happened to W Korea.

On Sunday, the magazine issued a public apology after its annual breast cancer awareness campaign, Love Your W, was criticized for feeling more like a celebrity party than a charity event, especially given the modest amount it raised.

The company apologized four days after Wednesday’s event in Seoul sparked backlash online.

“Since 2006, Love Your W has focused on raising awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer,” the magazine said in a statement. “However, we recognize that the format and atmosphere of this year’s event did not reflect the purpose of the campaign, and we take these concerns seriously.”

“Most importantly, we deeply apologize to breast cancer patients and their families for any discomfort or hurt we may have caused. We also apologize to those who participated with good intentions and were affected by the controversy. We are reflecting on our shortcomings,” it added.

W Korea said it plans to review how the event is organized and managed to prevent similar issues in the future. The magazine has also deleted all posts related to the event from its Instagram account.

However, the apology left many questions unanswered, particularly about how much money was raised.

Many questioned how a campaign that has been running for nearly two decades, supported by top celebrities and luxury brands, had reportedly raised only about 300 million won ($210,000) in total. This amount was revealed by data submitted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare to Rep. Lee Soo-jin of the Democratic Party of Korea.

In response, W Korea reportedly clarified that total donations from 2006 to 2024 amount to around 960 million won, not 300 million. The smaller figure referred only to direct contributions made under the magazine’s name. Including this year’s planned donation of 150 million won, the total comes to about 1.1 billion won over 20 years — still a disappointing sum to many.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

South Korea has a well respected education system that has provided workers for some of the world’s greatest companies, but the current education minister wants to make major changes:

Korea’s education system is at a turning point, facing both a declining student population and the pressures of a highly competitive academic environment, with Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin calling for greater diversity to drive innovation in higher education.

“Diversity in the student body positively affects creative thinking and learning outcomes. It goes beyond equal opportunity — it plays a decisive role in improving the quality of university education,” Education Minister Choi Kyo-jin told reporters Monday at Government Complex Sejong. 

The press conference, held a month after Choi took office, outlined the ministry’s vision and priorities for higher education under the Lee Jae Myung administration.

Citing examples from overseas, he noted that many foreign universities have established dedicated committees to promote diversity across race, gender and socioeconomic background.

“Some Korean universities are also making such efforts, which is an encouraging sign,” he said. “Expanding diversity should be a key direction for the future of Korean higher education.”

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.

It is pretty clear that this woman must be completely crazy and unsafe to return to society:

A local court on Monday sentenced a teacher to life in prison for murdering a 7-year-old student at their school in Daejeon in February.

The Daejeon District Court handed down the sentence to Myeong Jae-wan, 48, after convicting her of stabbing the girl, Kim Ha-neul, to death.

“Murder is a crime that takes away the life of a human being, and an unprecedented case occurred where an elementary school teacher brutally murdered a victim aged only seven at the school where she worked,” the bench said.

“She committed a cruel case of a child not being protected at school, where she should have been safest, even though as an elementary school teacher she was in a position to protect the victim.”

Myeong is accused of luring Ha-neul to a classroom in the afternoon of Feb. 5, when the girl was leaving an afterschool care program, by offering her a book and then stabbing her there with a weapon she had prepared in advance.

Myeong was also charged with kicking and damaging a school computer and assaulting another teacher who had asked to leave work together, several days before the murder.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.